Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken (37 page)

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Authors: Spencer Johnson

“Halt and surrender your weapons!” Balinor held his great sword threateningly towards the newcomer.

“
Now that is simply ungracious. We save your lives then you threaten us.” Initially the youth with the twin swords had frozen at Balinor’s command but now he retreated to the side of the speaker shrouded in the black cloak.

“
I will not repeat myself. Surrender your weapons now or you won’t live to regret the choice.”

Em’risi would have spoken up but she was fascinated watching the two newcomer’s lights dance. She sensed that both men were powerfully Gifted and that neither felt any fear at Balinor’s warnings. One had a gray tint that surrounded him while the other was engulfed in a pulsating deep blue light. The gray one seemed to be notified at having killed another but he was fast coming to terms.

“Balinor, we mean no harm to you or the princess.” Balinor started when he was addressed by name.

“
Surrender!” Balinor refused to back down. Em’risi was about to say something when she saw the younger one’s lights briefly touch the one in the black cloak.

“
My associate tells me that you aren’t in your right mind. Something about you having suffered a severe mental attack. Looks like I'm going to have more fun than I had planned on.” Em’risi watched in stunned silence as the man threw back his cloak and drew a sword. Balinor was just making another demand for surrender when the man set upon him moving so fast he seemed a blur in the moonlight. Balinor only managed to block or counter a couple blows before finding himself disarmed. A moment later Balinor sank to the ground after a resounding blow to the side of his helmet.

“
What was that for!?” Em’risi screamed at the man as he removed his weapon from Balinor's throat and sheathed the sword.

“
My apologies, my lady. Emeck could explain it better but something about he being still affected by that cultist’s psionic attack. You probably would have been able to see it for yourself if you hadn’t been so preoccupied with us. Aleest, could you call back a couple of those horses? It would sure beat walking.”

“
How do you know our names? Better yet who are you?” Em’risi was calming down after the battle adrenaline rush but she was still edgy considering her bodyguard was lying senseless on the ground.

“
The Asgare at your service. Call me Urake if you would like. This is my close friend Emeck. He is an empath. You are also if I'm not mistaken. Aleest is similar but his gift is with animals.” As Urake finished speaking the two requested horses trotted up.

“
The Asgare? Didn’t you try killing my father once?”

“
No”

“
I'm sure it was the Asgare that tried to kill him about fifteen years ago.”

“
I was once engaged to eliminate a man that turned out to be your father but once realizing the error I didn’t kill his as I am sure you are well aware.”

"So you did try killing him."

"If I had tried, he would have been dead so no, I did not try killing the King." Urake's lights were disturbed but there was no threat present.

“
Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Em’risi could sense that she didn’t have anything to fear from this man but she had a puzzle to figure out.

“
Last I checked my heart was still beating. People thinking I was dead worked very well until Reigns meddled where he had no business meddling.”

“
Why do you want to help me after almost killing my father?”

“
Does it matter?”

“
Of course it matters!”

“
It never ends! You're just like your mother when she was your age.” Urake’s exasperated statement nearly knocked Em’risi out of her saddle.

“
You knew my mother?”

“
I... My father was a retainer to her father when I was younger.”

“
You’re lying!” Em’risi narrowed her eyes in a glare at Urake.

“
Emeck! She is better than you at getting past my defenses. How is she doing it?” Urake threw his hands in the air and turned to Emeck who was barely stifling laughter. “What is so funny?”

“
She is able to see your emotions like they are lights where as I can feel them. It isn’t something that I know how to block.” Emeck sobered enough to respond to Urake’s question.

“
How could you possibly know that and what is so funny?” Em’risi demanded.

“
Probably because he saw through your own eyes. He says that you should ask Aleest what is so funny.” Urake stifled a chuckle before glaring at Emeck. Em’risi shocked as she was at the alleged transgression of her mind glanced over at Aleest and saw that he was shaking with silent mirth. Glancing back she saw that Emeck had a dead sober blank staring expression. She saw him squint an instant before her focus shifted to Urake. Realizing that she was squinting the same way she shook her head.

“
Why you... you...!” Em’risi was so outraged that she couldn’t think of a word to properly describe Emeck’s transgression.

“
Urake! You're really strong!” Emeck was staring at Urake now with an astonished look.

“
Thanks for the compliment but I could still use some help with Balinor. He is heavier than he looks.”

“
No I mean, you are Gifted.”

“
I'm what?... What did you do to Em’risi?” Urake turned from trying to get Balinor up in the saddle. Emeck turned back and saw that if looks could kill he would have been bleeding from a dozen mortal wounds. Breaking into a fresh round of giggles he finally managed to gasp something out.

“
Oh please stop it Aleest. You’re going to kill me!”

"I hope that he does. You should never presume to violate you queen in such a way again." Em'risi glanced regally between Emeck who was attempting to stifle his giggles and Urake who had a grim look of understanding in his eyes.

####

And so this book draws to a close. I will be working on the next one in the future. My first books were a mix of science fiction and fantasy but I have found it more enjoyable to write fantasy. Unfortunately there are a large number of people that have been studiously publishing their works and as such the chances of my tale bearing similarity to another’s grows. What started out three hundred thousand words ago as practice for a Writing 121 class that I haven’t yet taken has become an enjoyable pastime. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. If so please leave a review. They are exceedingly hard to come by in my experience. Try one of my other books. Fate’s Web or Child of Time. They are both available for free in SmashWords.com but feel free to name a price if you want. I won’t argue with some extra income. Anyways, thanks for reading Chronicles of Den’dra: A land Torn. I will be working on the next one.

Resources

Fractions

Dragon Lords

Storm Queen, Ice King, Wind Claw, Tidal Caller and Night Soul, Forest Wing,

Stone Walker

Asgare

Urake - Skeln’s father,
Asgare or Shadow Reaper. House Safrym.

Skeln’den’hal - Dwarven sword, Ice Heart. Also known as
Eld'or or Dark Soul.

Brounn - barkeep. Urake’s contact, Code named Gargoyle, half brother Rakyr

Fenar - Brounn’s agent, Rakyr’s wife, proprietress of the Golden Fountain inn from The Forks

Reigns

Reigns - head of the king’s council second only to the king, Chancellor

Enthack - Brest’s son. Under Captain in the employ of the Chancellor. Also working for Brounn.

Royals

King Illiad- King of the
Braebach Empire, Crown and Oak Shield

Sir Balinor - General loyal to Illiad

Em'risi - Princess, Heir apparent, Auburn hair, Purplish eyes

Raos- Grey stallion

Elmet - Black stallion

Aleest- tamer, Em'risi’s groom

Ildroth - Lieutenant in the army, Balinor’s agent, Noble of House Inarack, Knight

Shadow Order

Crein - Current leader

Yer'entho dead dark elf, previous leader.

Elves

Essdra- captain of a unit of rangers

Lyrak - Ranger

Lepolis - Ranger

Varric - High councilman

Evenstar - High councilman

Dwarves Garoche

Kalsrod

Taric

Roild

Nayer - Roild’s mother

Bredyn - Roild’s father

Esteris - Roild’s betrothed

Sharan- Dwarven healer

Corom - dwarven council

Underheim- dwarven capital

Seeroth - Captain of the city guard

Dragons

Eld’or - legendary dragon lord attributed with saving the dragon race from extinction before his death. Known as Night Soul. Owner of Ice Heart.

Iradaemi - gray dragon of the Vaulwar

Ovesa - Dragon Elder, pale green

Rothlt - leader of the dragons elders, black

Setur - Blue dragon in the border patrols.

Zhel - reddish flightless dragon at dragon towers

Dragon’s Hamlet In Vaulwar mountains

Encer - burgomeister

Inadar - Dark black wavy.

Morden - died in storehouse fire. Torroth’s twin brother

Mytera - Inadar’s adopted mother

Selene

Torroth

Warton. Village on the border between the Garoche highlands and the Garoche lowlands

Brest - tracker for Urake

Brounn - barkeep. Urake’s contact, Code named Gargoyle

Rorale - Burgomeister

Turana - Tusul’s wife, Seamstress

Tusul - Cobbler, code named toy maker

Village home town In the Garoche mountains

Akeli - Blacksmith’s daughter 15

Darsay - Innkeeper

Emeck - blue eyed, dark hair. telepathic bandit in black woods

Mosn - Blacksmith’s son, Akeli’s brother 10

Redzyn - moderately wealthy old landowner, Manor

Rothac - Land owner, Manor

Skelceri

Peren - Nyet’s father, Shadow walker

Nyet

Cercha

Anan - deceased innkeeper and agent for Asgare

Alerad - town west of the Forks and north of the Draeld,

Morbur - double agent, Innkeeper of the Red Steed

Souther Braebach Army

Captain Kelhat - Captain in charge of patrol unit

Oseh army cook

Braebach Empire

Cercha - Moderate town by Lake Cerveza

Den'dra - Continent

Draeld Swamps - southern border of Braebach

Dragon Towers

Elder Forest - Elven land

Garoche - Mountainous region where home town is located. Eastern territory

Garoche Heights

Garoche Highlands

Garoche Lowlands

Midlands

Sand Sea

Shienhin Capital

Silent Seas - North boundary of the Den’dra continent. So named for the fact no one who ever sailed into them returned alive.

Skelceri - Cold Mists small village in Draeld Swamps

The Forks - A city at the confluence of two rivers.

Vaulwar Lowlands

Vaulwar mountains - Held by dragons Western border of Braebach

There were the dragons and their kin the shifters, the elves both dark and light, the dwarves masters of both stone and metal, the humans of the short lives, and the wraith and their ilk.

Reagents for potions

dragon’s tail = The dragon’s tail has the peculiar effect of inducing paralysis

steyr weed.= Steyr weed Is a sleeping agent.

Ancient Tongue

Cercha = Wide waters

Ceri = Water vapor, fog, mist

Cerveza = Wide river.

cha = water

Eclarion = Travel

encorum = deep or under

Enfar las = are we

eriache = evil ones